Apparatus for debeading tires



Oct. 13, 1942. E. A. DAVIS I PPARATUS FOR DEBEADING TIRES Filed Jury 5,1.941

2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 13, 1942.

E. A. DAVIS APPARATUS FOR DEBEADING TIRES Filed July 5, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet 2 ju E27/bia.

` d Eiga@ 53%/ Patented Oct. 13, 1942 UNITED) STATES PATENT OFFICEy 3 B.F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application July 5, 1941, Serial No.

Y4: Claims.

Thisinvention relates to apparatus for debeading the outer casings ofpneumatici tires and is useful for circumferentially severing the rubberand fabric material overlying the metal beadreinforcing rings.

Y In the art of reclaiming used pneumatic tire casings, it is desirableto separate the metal beadreinforcing rings from the rubber and textilematerial in which they are embedded. While formerly it has been thepractice to sever circumferentially the bead portions containing themetal reinforcements from the remainder of the casing, such aipracticehas resulted in waste` of a considerable amount of rubber and fabricmaterial which has been discarded with the metallic reinforcements.

In the Lequillon Patent No. 2,230,302 apparatus is provided for slittingthe casing circumferentially through the material overlying the metallicbead-reinforcing rings and then pulling themetallic rings through suchslits to remove the rings cleanly from the tire. In the form ofapparatusillustrated in such patent,l however, the tire casing was driven by theengagement with the tread during the cutting operation, which expedient,while effective for most not too greatly worn, has not been fullysatisfactory for tires which were so damaged as to leave large holes inthe tread or to weaken the sidewalls so that the tire flattened easilyand interfered with operation of the cut-- ting tools, and a furtherdifliculty in providing sucient traction was encountered requiring thecutters to be fed slowly.

The present invention aims to overcome this difficulty by providing forrigid support of the casing at the cutting `*position and for positivedriving of the casing without the use of cores for support.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide rigid support ofthe bead portions of the I tire at a cutting station, to provide forpositively feeding the casing to slitting mechanism, to provide for thehandling of tires ofV a variety of dimensions, and to providesemi-automatic control of the apparatus. y

These and other objects will appear from the following description andthe accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation, .partly in section, of anapparatus illustrating and embodying theinvention in one of itsembodiments, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view thereof taken on line 2--2 of Fig.1parts being broken away.

(C1. 16e-39)V Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the apparatus takenon line 3--3 of Fig. '1, parts being broken away.

In accordance with the invention, a pneumatic tire casing'is tensionedabout guiding and driving members which contact with the rim-engagingfaces of the casing 'and its bead portions are rigidly supported fromwithin the casing while the casing is driven as a belt to present itsbead portions progressively at a station where slitting knives are fedthrough the material overlying the bead reinforcements. Provision isalsomade for automatic manipulation of the mechanism after the operator hasplaced a casing on the apparatus and has initially started thetensioning of the cas- Referring to the drawings, the numeral I0designates the stationary frame of the apparatus on which a horizontallyprojecting tubular arm II is secured by bolts I2. `Arm II is formed witha bearing surface I3 at its outer extremity about which an annulardriving member I4 is rotatably mounted. The driving `member is retainedagainst end-movement by a xed flange I5 of the arm and a removableflange I6 secured to the arm by bolts I1. An internally toothed ringgear I8 is fixed to the member I4`with its teeth clearing the bearingsurface.

For driving the member I4, a shaft I9 extends axially of the arm IIandis rotatably'supported therefrom by bearings 20, 2 I Amounted withinthe arm. A pinion 22`is fixed to one end of the shaft I9 and engages thering gear l8 through a clearance opening 23 formedin the wall of thearm.

An electric motor 24 is mounted on frame IIJ and 'a sprocket 25 fixed tothe motor shaft, drives a sprocket 26, fixed to shaft I9, by means of achain 21. For driving the tire casing positively the rotatable drivingmember I4 is formed on its periphery with a medial outwardly-directedflange 28 and the peripheral surface at each side thereof including theouter periphery of the ring I8 is formed with driving teeth I4a. Theseteeth are preferably of saw-tooth cross-section having substantiallyradial driving faces and inclined backfaces, the radial faces facing inthe direction of travel so as to be useful in propelling the tire.

For tensioning the tire a vertical guideway 3U is formed on the frameIl) and a cross-head 3l is slidably fitted therein for .movement towardand from the arm II. A plurality of hollow rollers 32, 33, 34 arerotatably mounted on the cross head 3l about stub-shafts 35, 36, 31fixed thereto. A double-acting fluid pressure operated cylinder 38 isfixed to the frame I0. Its piston-rod 39 is xed to cross-head. Thearrangement is such that with the cross-head 3| in raised position, thesmallest sized tire casing will pass over the driving member |4 and theguide rollers 32, 33, 34 and by lowering the cross-head any size tire,within the range of the apparatus, may be tensioned about the drivingmember and the guiderollers.

For operating the cross-head 3| a 4-way Ross solenoid-operated valve 40is mounted on frame l and is connected to a supply line 4|, an exhaustline 42 and by lines 43, 44 with the top and bottom ends respectively ofthe cylinder38. The valve arrangement is such that when the solenoidthereof is energized, iuid is admitted to pipe 43 and pipe 44 isconnected to exhaust lowering the cross-head 3| and tensioning the tire,

and when the solenoid is not energized-,the valve reverses under springpressure and admits fluid pressure to pipe 44 and opens pipe 43 toexhaust raising the cross-head?.

For progressively slitting the material overlying the beadreinforcements a pair of knives` e, 5| are mounted respectively on-arpair of cross-heads 52., 53, slideably mounted in a guideway 54, formedinthe arm-1|. A pair of double-acting fluid-pressure operated cylinders55, 55 are fixed inline tothe frame I0. Cylinder 55 has stuffing boxes5l, 58 at its oppositeends and. a hollow piston rod 59 extends throughboth stuiiing-boxes at all positions'and` has a piston Bllxed thereto.Cross-head 52 is also fixed to this piston rod. Cylinder 55 has apiston. rod 6|- xed to its piston 62. 'Ihis rod extends through theopening through piston rodl 59 and cross-head 53 is fixed thereto. Fluidpressure supply to these -cylinders is controlled by a 4-waysolenoid-operatedY Ross Valve 63, having a suppl-'yy li'ne 64 and anexhaust line 65. A pipe |55l connectsone delivery port of the valvetothe front end of cylinder 55 and the rear endof cylinder 56. Another'delivery port of the valve is connected by a pipe 67| lto the rear endof cylinder 55v and the front end of cylinder 61. When thesolenoid ofthe valve is energized pipe 66 is connectedto the pressure supply andpipe 61 to the exhaust and Vthe knives are forced against the tirecasing, and when the solenoid is deenergized the pipe (i5 is connectedto the exhaust and pipe 61 tol the supply causing the knives toberetracted.

For adjusting the positionofthe knives radially of the tire casing, eachof the cross-heads 52, 53 is provided with a tool-holder '10, 'H havinga cross passage for Areceiving a knife, and clamp screws T2 forretaining it.

Each tool-holder has a shank 13 of round cross-section (see Fig. 2)slideably fitted in the cross-head for vertical movement and preventedfrom rotation by a key 14 Yengaging a keyway 15 in the cross head. -Thelower end of theshank is threaded, as at l5, anda worm gear H- has athreaded bore adapted. toengage the threads. The worm gear isretained'against end move ment by a retainer '18. Each worm wheelengages a wor-m19 slideably mountedon a splined shaft 80. Theshaft 80extends through both worms and has aV handle 8| iixed thereto whereby itmay be rotated to raise or lower the tool holders in unison. Due` to thesliding engagement ofthe Worms with the shaft 80, the adjusting mecha-Vnism does not interfere with the movement of the tools toward and fromeach other. As` the Shanks of the tool holders 10, 1| are in verticalalignment with the piston rod V6|, the shank. 'I3

is slotted vertically as at '|3a-so-that the-rod 6| 75 passestherethrough, the slot permitting the vertical adjustment. As the pistonrod 5| does not extend to the shank of tool holder 1|, the shank of thistool holder is not slotted.

For guiding the tire casing in its rotative movement, a pair of guidearms 90, 9| are adjustably mounted on a bar 92 fixed to the frame I0.They may be adjusted along the bar to a position where they contact thesides of the tire, and may be locked in place to guide the tire to theknives.

While the apparatus may be operated by manually and. individuallyoperated valves and switches to control the motor and cylinders, it ispreferred to controlv these members by means of an electrically.operated timing apparatus (not shown). A starting button |00 and astopping button I0! are located on the machine frame at a positionconvenient to the operator. A limit switch |32 is fixed to the machineframe and a cam arm |03 is fixed to piston rod 6|. in a position adaptedto open and close the limit` switch by contact with. a rocker arm |04xed to the switch.

The arrangementV is such that when the left arm of the rocker isdepressed by the cam |53, as. seen in Fig. 1, with the knives 55., 5| intheir position closest to. each other, the limit switch |02 is. in openposition and when the knives are far apart the cam arm |04 is rocked todepress its right arm, thereby closing the circuit through the limitVswitch. 'Ihe limit switch |02 is in the cir-cuits which, control thetimer and. the motor 24 and the valves. |53v and 40 and must be closedin order to. permit starting the machine by means ofbutton |00 andopened in orderv to permit stopping the machine by means of button I0|.

In operating the apparatus, the tire |55 is hung on. the rotatable head|'4 and the starting button |00 is pressed. The limit switch |02. isclosed at this time. The starting button energizes the solenoid of valve40 causing cross-head 3| to be lowered to tension thetire. At the sametime it starts the electric timer by closing a circuit including thetimer. After a delay suflicient to permit tensioning of the tire, thetimer closesV a circuit which energizes the solenoid of valve 63 causingthe knives 50, 5|. to. approach the walls of the tire and starting themotor 24. As the knives. complete their movement toward each other cam.arm. |03. openslimit switch |02y resetting the circuit so that thestopping button I0| may be opened to stop the timer and with it themotor 24..

When the .operator wishes to stop the machine when the cutting operationhas been completed, he depresses the stopping button |0|. The limitswitch is in its open position at this time, This deenergizes thesolenoid ofthe valvei63 returning the knives to positionsv away. fromthe tire andv stops the motor 24. andi at the same time stopsV the timerand deenergizes valvez causing the cross-head1 3| to be raised. so thatthe tire can be removed. As the knives move out, cam arm |03 closeslimit switch |02.

During the rotative movement of the casing the knives50, 5| are forcedprogressively through the material surrounding the bead cores H0, I iiin a circumferential path while the bead portions of the tirearesupportedfrom within the tire by the ribi 28 Yof the, driving member.The tire is positively driven by and radially tensioned against thedriving member so that positioning of the cut and the depth thereofisuniform and the tire is'iirmly supported. After the tire is req movedfrom the machine, the bead cover may be removed from the circumferentialslits without loss of rubber and fabric material. The knives may beadjusted toward and away from the driving member by manipulating thehandle 8|.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the inventionas it is dened by the following claims.

I claim:

'1. Apparatus for debeading a tire, said apparatus comprising arotatable annular driving member having a medial outwardly-directedflange at its periphery adapted to enter between the beads of the tire,means for driving said member, and peripheral driving teeth at each sideof said ange, said driving teeth being of saw-tooth form and each havinga substantially radial driving face for propelling the tire and a sharpdriving edge, a single tensioning carriage movable toward and away fromthe axis of the driving member for elongating the tire and drawing thebead portions of the tire radially against said driving teeth throughouta substantial arc of said driving member, an incising blade, and meansfor pressing said blade through the material of the bead of the tire tothe core of the bead to incise the material thereabout circumferentiallyof the tire without removal of material.

2. Apparatus for debeading a tire, said apparatus comprising a rotatableannular driving member having a medial outwardly-directed flange at itsperiphery adapted to enter between the beads of the tire, means fordriving said member, and peripheral driving teeth at each side of saidflange, said driving teeth being of saw-tooth form and each having asubstantially radial driving face for propelling the .tire and a sharpdriving edge, a single tensioning carriage movable toward and away fromthe axis of the driving member for elongating the tire and drawing thebead portions of the tire radially against said driving teeth throughouta substantial arc of said driving member, a pair of incising blades, andmeans for pressing each blade through the material of a bead of the tireto the core of the bead simultaneously to incise the material thereaboutcircumferentially of the tire without removal of material.

3. Apparatus for debeading a tire, said apparatus comprising a rotatableannular driving member having a medial outwardly-directed flange at itsperiphery adapted to enter between the beads of the tire, means fordriving said member, and peripheral driving teeth at each side of saidange, said driving teeth being of saw-tooth form and each having asubstantially radial driving face for propelling the tire and a sharpdriving edge, a single tensioning carriage movable toward and away fromthe axis of the driving member for elongating the tire and drawing thebead portions of the tire radially against said driving teeth throughouta substantial arc of said driving member, an incising blade, and meansfor pressing said blade in a direction parallel to the axis of saiddriving member through the material of the bead of the tire to the coreof the bead to incise the material thereabout circumferentially of thetire without removal of material.

4. Apparatus for debeading a tire, said apparatus comprising a rotatableannular driving member having a medial outwardly-directed flange at itsperiphery adapted to enter between the beads of the tire, means fordriving said member, and peripheral driving teeth at each side of saidflange, said driving teeth being of saw-tooth form and each having asubstantially radial driving face for propelling the tire and a sharpdriving edge, a single tensioning carriage movable toward and away fromthe axis of the driving member for elongating the tire and drawing thebead portions of the tire radially against said driving teeth throughouta substantial arc of said driving member, a pair of incising blades, andmeans for pressing each blade in a direction parallel to the axis ofsaid driving member through the material of a bead of the tire to thecore of the bead simultaneously to incise the material thereaboutcircumferentially of the tire Without removal of material.

EDWARD A. DAVIS.

